Kuala lumpur: The Malaysian rubber market closed lower on Friday, driven by weaker advice in the regional rubber futures markets, a dealer said. She noted that market sentiment was clouded by uncertainties surrounding the US interest rate decision and the ongoing geopolitical crisis.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the European Union is working to ensure that lower US tariffs on its car exports are applied retroactively to August 1, 2025, as stated by its trade commissioner on Thursday. This development comes as the transatlantic partners outline details of a framework trade deal struck in July.

Furthermore, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) chair has expressed concerns over the inflationary impact of US President Donald Trump's trade tariffs, identifying this as the most significant point of uncertainty for the Fed in deciding on lowering rates, as reported by a dealer to Bernama.

At 3 pm, the Malaysian Rubber Board reported that the price of Standard Malaysian Rubber (SMR) 20 saw a decrease of 8.0 sen, settling at 726.5 sen per kilogramme (kg). Meanwhile, latex in bulk experienced a slight decline, inching down by 1.0 sen to 567.5 sen per kg.